Four people taken to IU Health Methodist Hospital were released as of Friday morning. Two Marian University students who suffered more serious injuries were still hospitalized in the burn unit at Sidney & Lois Eskenazi Hospital Friday morning. They were expected to survive.

Marian University said four of the six people injured Thursday night were their students.

In all, 23 residents were displaced Thursday night. IFD officials said Friday that once utilities were restored, all but 12 residents would be able to return. The other 12 residents had significant damage to their apartments or live in what is being called the collapse zone.

IFD and Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department have been limited in their ability to investigate due to the instability of the structure. Pangea Riverside Apartments was working with a structural engineer to get the building safe for investigators. Citizens Energy reported no readings of gas in the area following the blast. IFD, IMPD, the apartment complex, utility companies and insurance companies will work together to determine the cause of the explosion, but no additional details on the cause were expected until Monday at the earliest.

Security has been put in place outside the damage apartments.

]]>http://wishtv.com/2014/05/16/cause-of-apartment-explosion-unlikely-for-days/feed/0http://wishtv.com/2014/05/16/cause-of-apartment-explosion-unlikely-for-days/Photos: Explosion rocks apartment complexhttp://feeds.wishtv.com/~r/Wish-IndianaHeadlines/~3/ru07lH0-vu0/
http://interactives.wishtv.com/photomojo/gallery/12321/1/explosion-rocks-apartment-complex/explosion-rocks-apartment-complex/#commentsFri, 16 May 2014 03:44:10 +0000http://wishtv.com/?p=26080Click here to see pictures of the aftermath from a west side apartment complex explosion.]]>http://interactives.wishtv.com/photomojo/gallery/12321/1/explosion-rocks-apartment-complex/explosion-rocks-apartment-complex/feed/0http://interactives.wishtv.com/photomojo/gallery/12321/1/explosion-rocks-apartment-complex/explosion-rocks-apartment-complex/Heroin spike putting new neighborhoods at riskhttp://feeds.wishtv.com/~r/Wish-IndianaHeadlines/~3/R2J0EKQwI4Q/
http://wishtv.com/2014/05/15/heroin-spike-putting-new-neighborhoods-at-risk/#commentsFri, 16 May 2014 03:15:17 +0000http://wishtv.com/?p=25940

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — A sudden surge in cheap, highly pure and easily available heroin is directly fueling spikes in other crimes across Marion County, an I-Team 8 analysis found. New data uncovered by Crime Watch 8 proves for the first time that those crimes are happening with growing frequency in places many might not expect.

It’s all due to a sudden shift in supply, bringing huge shipments of heroin directly to Indianapolis-area streets. I-Team 8 found that sudden increase is likely already fueling new types of crime that are putting neighborhoods across Central Indiana at risk.

EPIDEMIC RISING

As the sun set on a warm early evening in early May, Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department Southwest Tactical Patrol Officer Tara Van Deman weighed the odds.

“This is right about the time we see the runs start coming out,” she said, thumbing through the dispatch computer in her squad car. “It’s pretty much a daily expectation now that one of us gets an overdose call.”

It came just 10 minutes later a block off busy West Washington Street at a home on Lyons Avenue. Wayne Township medics found a man there unconscious in the basement. His friend said he had collapsed and was struggling to breathe.

“They’re pretty sure it’s drug related,” Van Deman said as she arrived at the scene. “If he’s unconscious and it is drug related, they’ll get a drug into his system. And, if that wakes him up, then they know it was an opiate overdose.”

That drug is Naloxone — also known as Narcan. Last month, IMPD officers began carrying a dose of it in their squad car. It temporarily reverses the effect of the drug, buying time to get to the hospital for treatment.

It was the third time Van Deman watched Narcan save someone’s life that week.

‘IT’S HAPPENING EVERYWHERE’

“It doesn’t matter where you live, geographically, because overdoses happen everywhere,” Van Deman said. “I see it in high crime areas. I see it in nice neighborhoods. And, I see it getting worse.”

Death records obtained by I-Team 8 show 215 people died from accidental opiate overdoses in Marion County in 2013 on every side of the city and in every township. At least 111 of those deaths are directly attributed to heroin.

That’s up at least 30 percent from the year before.

But, it’s not just an urban problem.

Last year, the Indiana State Police Crime Lab processed three times as much heroin evidence as it did in 2008. Many came from suburban or even rural areas.

Just last month, Noblesville Police arrested John Eldred and Kristen Cebada on preliminary burglary and theft charges. According to court documents obtained by I-Team 8, Cebada admitted the two were breaking into nearby homes to steal items that could quickly be pawned off to buy heroin.

“It’s not just an inner city problem anymore. This is as bad as I’ve ever seen.”— Randy Miller, Drug Free Marion County

“This drug is impacting everybody across all socioeconomic lines,” said Randy Miller, Drug Free Marion County executive director. “It’s not just an inner city problem anymore. This is as bad as I’ve ever seen. Call it what you will, but it’s an epidemic now. If it’s not, then we haven’t had an epidemic of any kind.”

And, the impact is reaching far beyond just addiction.

‘THE ROOT OF ALL CRIME’

“I’ve heard it said that drugs are the root of all crime,” said Indiana State Police Capt. David Bursten. “That may be an exaggeration, but not by much.”

Sudden spikes in crime were first tied to heroin in Indiana in the 1980s when the drug first took hold in the Midwest. But, heroin use faded in the years following. Until recently, the drug was more closely associated with celebrities in Hollywood than in middle America.

Now, new data is now telling a familiar old story across Central Indiana: a spike in heroin use coupled with a rise in overall crime. Law enforcement has worked to track connections between the two for decades.

“Heroin creates a voracious addiction that feeds a variety of other crimes that the addict feels necessary to feed the habit,” FBI Director James Comey told I-Team 8 during a recent visit to Indianapolis. “We are [seeing] all manner of crimes to feed that habit, and we’re seeing them hit hard.”

But, there’s very little hard data available showing exactly what those adjacent crimes are, where they’re happening and how often they involve innocent bystanders as victims. So, I-Team 8 compiled data from more than 1,000 separate police reports to find out.

CRIME CONNECTIONS

According to records obtained by I-Team 8, IMPD, Metro Drug Task Force and the Drug Enforcement Agency have combined to make at least 145 separate heroin busts in Indianapolis alone so far in 2014.

I-Team 8’s analysis found the same addicts and dealers arrested or involved in those busts are also directly tied to at least 200 other crimes within the last three years, ranging from residential burglary and shoplifting to prostitution, assault and battery and murder.

Those adjacent crimes hit all sides of the city, seemingly with little discrimination for neighborhood status.

Below is a map of arrests tied to heroin in your neighborhood on an interactive map. The “H” represent a heroin arrest and the dots are other crimes. Click on either icon to see what crimes are related to each heroin arrest. (Disclaimer: Arrests do not equal convictions)

It’s no surprise to Officer Van Deman.

“It used to be that the majority of my runs were disturbances related to domestic situations. Now, if we have a disturbance, most of them have to do with drugs. The majority of our burglaries are addicts breaking in to find something to sell for narcotics. The majority of our robberies are related to narcotics, whether that’s a deal that’s gone bad or they’re robbing somebody to get something to sell to go buy drugs. Right now, that drug almost every time is heroin,” she said.

The crime connections are also becoming more violent.

“The majority of these addicts and drug dealers are carrying guns, and most of them are carrying illegally,” she said. “That’s frightening, especially with the addicts because this addiction is more important to these people than anything else.”

It’s the reason why Van Deman says heroin is already hitting close to home — even if some don’t yet recognize it.

“It’s affecting them. They just don’t realize what it is that’s causing these people to burglarize their homes and rob their neighbors.”— Tara Van Deman, IMPD officer

“It’s affecting them,” she said. “They just don’t realize what it is that’s causing these people to burglarize their homes and rob their neighbors.”

VICTIMS LEFT BEHIND

“I’ve been burglarized at least 50 times,” said Sheena Schmidt, who owns more than a dozen businesses and buildings in the city’s Martindale-Brightwood neighborhood. “I have a stack of police reports that I’ve called down there where they’ve broken in, knocked walls down and windows in and everything.”

Schmidt says she has no doubt what’s fueling the increases.

“Heroin,” she said. “On all of them.”

The evidence has hit close to home.

Last year, Schmidt leased out one of her buildings in the 2400 block of Station Street to a group of men who opened an auto body shop inside. But, according to a federal indictment filed on April 9, those tenants were using the space to run a heroin and methamphetamine trafficking ring.

Federal agents raided the body shop in late December, seizing 1.5 kilograms of heroin worth nearly $100,000 along with $281,516 in cash. 17 alleged high level drug dealers were arrested and are now awaiting trial. It was the largest DEA heroin takedown in Indianapolis in the last three years.

Other connections came as a surprise.

“I was only gone for about 45 minutes, and I came back and the door was kicked in. They took some guns and a few other things, some of my dad’s belongings. But they just went through the house and ransacked it,” said Marcus McMullin, whose southeast side home was burglarized last year.

McMullin said he had no idea that one of the suspects listed in the burglary report was later arrested for possession of heroin.

“I had no idea,” he said. “But, I guess I shouldn’t be shocked. Not anymore. Heroin is way too easy to get and people are getting hooked.”

Heroin in an evidence bag.

PUSHING A NEW HIGH

“You can get four lines for $20 right here on the street in broad daylight,” said Keith Parks, standing in front of the Mars Hill house he’s rented for the last eight years. “There’s always been crime here, but not like this. Now, there’s eight dope houses in either direction. The dealers are as young as 12 or 13 years old sometimes.”

“On the street, I hear it every day,” he said. “They call heroin ‘boy.’ [They say] ‘I got to get some ‘boy’ because they cut us off our pills! We can’t get them so easy now.’ ‘Boy’ is cheaper and easier to get. So, that’s what they do.”

Indiana’s new heroin epidemic is often now beginning in the medicine cabinet. A new report from the National Office of Drug Control found 81 percent of the new heroin users ages 18-25 started by abusing prescription drugs.

“It starts with the use of opiates and painkillers, primarily,” said Miller, of Drug Free Marion County. “Youths especially are raiding medicine cabinets or buying at school, and then they’re hooked. Those folks then have decided that heroin is much cheaper. ‘It gets me high much quicker. I’ll switch to that.’”

It’s an easy choice for addicts, Miller said: search for a pain pill like hydrocodone on the street, and you might wait a day or two to pay between $60 and $100 per pill. Or addicts can wait five minutes for a $5 hit of heroin.

“If you have the right connections — and you’re looking for it — within 5-10 minutes you can probably find someone who can access it for you,” Miller said.

And, increasingly, dealers are going to great lengths to supply it.

“We just hit a house where they were trading tools, saws, weed-wackers and lawnmowers for the drug,” said IMPD Chief Rick Hite. “That’s something I haven’t seen in my 30 years of policing. And it’s a grave concern.”

It’s also a very attractive formula for drug cartels, who are fueling a sudden shift in Indianapolis’ heroin pipeline.

THE NEW HEROIN HIGHWAY

“Generally, what we’ve seen here is that all roads lead back to Chicago,” said Dennis Wichern, DEA Indianapolis Assistant Special Agent in Charge . “But, in any business — especially ours — sources evolve and change.”

The lure of profits is fueling a sudden shift away from the Midwest’s traditional heroin supply strongholds in Afghanistan and Southeast Asia, and pushing production south of the U.S. border.

“That case [on Station Street] we took down in December, they were getting their drugs directly from Houston. And, we are seeing cases now where the product is coming straight up from McAllen, to El Paso, right into Indianapolis. That’s a big concern. I’ve redirected most of my resources solely to work heroin cases because of this problem we’ve been seeing the last few years,” Wichern said.

But, the battleground in this new war on heroin is becoming increasingly hard to find.

While Indianapolis once served as a “stopover point” between Cincinnati and Chicago on “heroin highways” like I-65, I-70 and I-74, cartels are now shipping the drug straight here along new routes, and officers are increasingly out-manned.

“Realistically, we’re looking at anywhere from 1-3 percent of the total problem that we’re [stopping on the roads],” said Bursten, of ISP. “That pipeline can be planes, trains, automobiles, commercial trucks, through delivery services like UPS or FedEx. It’s constantly moving and changing. And, when we devote our attention to certain areas, all we do is shift the problem.”

Asked when that problem might become a public crisis, Wichern raised his eyebrow.

“I think it already is,” he said.

FIGHTING BACK

This month, the FBI and DEA announced plans to combat the rise of heroin abuse by focusing on heroin suppliers in Mexico and Afghanistan.

“We’re working in conjunction with our federal partners to stop trafficking where we can, but also to drive up the cost of doing business for the cartels,” said FBI Director Comey. “That has impacts on the streets of all of America’s cities, because it drives up the cost of heroin, which makes it less likely to be used and have all those other [negative effects on crime].”

It’s a back-end approach.

But, Comey says the FBI and its partners in local law enforcement are willing to do whatever it takes to combat what may be the biggest narcotics threat America has seen in a generation.

“Right now, we have more of a chance of going to an overdose than having a drug bust,” said Van Deman, preparing for her next run. “That has to change.”

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) – The internal affairs unit of the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department is investigating the actions of officers following an arrest last week that has drawn criticism from residents in an east side neighborhood.

The criticism is that several residents allege the officers used excessive force by kicking and repeatedly deploying their stun guns as 29-year-old Marcus Jackson was on the ground.

But in court records the officers explained their actions, claiming they feared they were in “great danger” because Jackson was allegedly high, unresponsive, growling and becoming aggressive – at one point – lunging at officers.

A portion of Jackson’s May 8 arrest was captured on cell phone video and shows two officers kicking Jackson as he lay near the sidewalk at 25th and Baltimore streets.

The video, posted to social media sites, was obtained by WISH-TV Wednesday night.The short video abruptly starts and stops and may contain edits of Jackson’s arrest.

WISH-TV notified IMPD’s professional standards unit after obtaining the video. An investigator from IMPD viewed the video but did not comment, saying it would be turned over to internal affairs.

On Thursday, the station again reached out to authorities for comment, but also spoke with several witnesses who claimed to have seen the arrest unfold. Their statements were coupled by additional cell phone videos that captured Jackson’s arrest and the aftermath.

“You know how they punt a football, that’s how they kicked him,” said Tamika Banks, a nearby resident who claims to have witnessed the arrest.

Banks can be heard on one of the cell phone videos questioning the actions of the officers.

“Regardless of what he was going off of, they had no business kicking him the way that they did. They was beating the mess out of that man,” Banks told I-Team 8 Thursday.

Another neighbor, Alice Maxie, captured portions of the incident on her cell phone. In the video obtained by I-Team 8, an officer can be heard talking to Jackson.

“Put your arms behind your back now,” the officer states.

Maxie then replies: “You don’t have to kick him (expletive)!”

A stun gun can then be heard on the video being administered.

In court records, the officers admitted to kicking and using their stun guns “multiple times” but they stated Jackson had ignored their commands to stay on the ground and was attempting to stand up several times. At one point, Jackson “got his feet underneath himself and attempted to charge” at Officer Justin Beaton.

Beaton had initially been called to the scene on a report of a person down. When he arrived, he found Jackson unresponsive and lying in the middle of Baltimore Street, court records and neighbors stated. Suddenly, Jackson opened his eyes, had a blank stare, and then “became aggressive and started growling like a dog” at Beaton, the court records state.

At one point, the court records state Justin Beaton was concerned Jackson was high on the drug “wet” or PCP, and “immediately became concerned for his safety.” It goes on to state that Jackson made several attempts to stand, and that Beaton used “foot strikes to Jackson’s butt and upper arm areas to get Jackson to lie on the ground.”

The court records state the officers feared they were in “great danger” from Jackson, a 5-foot-7, 230-pound suspect who officers believed was high on “wet” a drug that involves smoking formaldehyde. Jackson, who would later be treated by paramedics before being taken to Eskenazi Health’s detention center, admitted to medics that he had smoked “wet,” court records state.

One neighbor, who asked that he not be identified, told I-Team 8 that he thinks the officers’ actions were justified.

“He kept trying to get up and the officer told him ‘stay down.’ When the officer tells you do something, that’s what you are supposed to do,” the man stated.

The man later admitted he did not stick around to see the officers kick Jackson – as other neighbors did – but still felt the officers’ actions were warranted.

“If I was acting that way he was acting, then I would expect to get the fair treatment that they gave him,” said the man, who described Jackson’s behavior as “erratic.”

Maxie, along with another witness Deborah Nelson, contend the incident could have been handled better.

“I think that policeman was out of line,” Nelson said.

“The only thing I can say is that police handled that wrong,” Maxie said.

IMPD provided WISH-TV with a statement that reads: “The IMPD is aware of the video and the Internal Affairs Unit is investigating the incident.”

Jackson could not be reached for comment. He was charged with possession of marijuana, public intoxication and resisting law enforcement.

]]>http://wishtv.com/2014/05/15/impd-arrest-draws-criticism-videos-from-neighbors/feed/0http://wishtv.com/2014/05/15/impd-arrest-draws-criticism-videos-from-neighbors/Six people injured in west side explosionhttp://feeds.wishtv.com/~r/Wish-IndianaHeadlines/~3/wtUOAOgLFr0/
http://wishtv.com/2014/05/15/emergency-personnel-respond-to-report-of-explosion-on-nw-side/#commentsFri, 16 May 2014 02:26:57 +0000http://wishtv.com/?p=26058

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) – Six people were taken to Indianapolis hospitals Thursday night after an explosion at a west side apartment complex.

Emergency personnel were called to the 2600 block of Cold Spring Manor Drive to the Pangea Riverside apartment complex shortly after 10 p.m. That is near West 30th Street and Kessler Boulevard North Drive.

Neighbors told 24-Hour News 8 there was a loud boom. People in an upstairs apartment unit told Indianapolis Fire Department officials they smelled something before the explosion.

IFD officials say six patients were transported to local hospitals. Four patients — ranging in ages from 17 to 48 — were taken to IU Health Methodist Hospital in fair condition. Two of those patients, a male and female, lived downstairs. Two others, a mother and daughter, were in the apartment adjacent to where the explosion happened. As of Friday morning, those four people had been released from the hospital.

A man and woman — ages 19 and 20 — were transported to Sidney & Lois Eskenazi Hospital after suffering from burns. Their injuries were not considered to be life-threatening, officials said.

Some people living nearby spoke with 24-Hour News 8 about what they saw.

“I see a bright light, moments after that, it shook, like an earthquake, and I ran upstairs to tell my dad. We went out in the backyard, and we see like debris and fire,” said Kia Hill. “Then we ran out in the front and we see the whole entire front of the house exploded outward, glass everywhere, people running in panic.”

“I was just hoping everyone made it out of the apartment,” added Hill.

“I was just in my home, cooking dinner, all of a sudden there was a loud boom. It almost felt like all of a sudden somebody ran into the building. I looked up my stairs, there was a ton of smoke. I ran outside, and saw the apartment two doors down, completely blown out,” said Yolanda Williams. “I was just scared, I wanted to get as far away as possible. Just wondering what was going to happen next, what we were going to do.”

Fire crews say some students from Marian University live at the apartment complex.

Late Thursday night, all 14 units in the building were considered unlivable due to damage or no utilities. All 23 occupants of the complex were accounted for. Apartment management worked with those displaced to find alternative shelter for the night.

Investigators are looking into what caused the explosion. Damages are estimated at $250,000.

Early Friday information was released indicating Citizens Energy testing at the scene did not find any readings of gas outside the damaged building. The scene was then turned over to investigators from IFD and IMPD who continue to work with the apartment owners and utility companies to determine the cause and origin of the explosion.

]]>http://wishtv.com/2014/05/15/emergency-personnel-respond-to-report-of-explosion-on-nw-side/feed/0http://wishtv.com/2014/05/15/emergency-personnel-respond-to-report-of-explosion-on-nw-side/Thousands participate in Bike to Work Dayhttp://feeds.wishtv.com/~r/Wish-IndianaHeadlines/~3/KJWpZLAI25U/
http://wishtv.com/2014/05/16/thousands-participate-in-bike-to-work-day/#commentsFri, 16 May 2014 10:58:40 +0000http://wishtv.com/?p=26126

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) – Friday, thousands of people hit the road to head to work, but they won’t be in their car. They’ll be on their bike.

More than 15 hundred cyclists are expected to ride into work Friday. Many people drove to local YMCA facilities to meet up, and then rode their bikes downtown together.

Bike to Work Day is a nationwide event to promote a healthy lifestyle and to cut down on pollution. It has been going on for several years, and has really started to grow in popularity recently. The last two years, Indianapolis saw record numbers of cyclists.

One of the biggest supporters is Mayor Greg Ballard, “We want to showcase that bicycling is a viable option and really try to get more people on bicycles. It’s a healthier option and now with bike lanes and trails really coming forth, it becomes a really viable option for a lot of people and we’re just highlighting that.”

The Mayor was talking about all the bike lanes added in recent years, along with the Cultural Trail, which have given bicyclists a friendlier place to ride. In fact, he’s been invited to other cities to talk about what Indy’s bike infrastructure. He’s headed to Portland, Oregon, in a few months to do it again.

Bicyclists can get free bike parking at the Indy bike hub downtown at Market Street and Alabama Street all day Friday, as well.

]]>http://wishtv.com/2014/05/16/thousands-participate-in-bike-to-work-day/feed/0http://wishtv.com/2014/05/16/thousands-participate-in-bike-to-work-day/Power could be out until Sunday in South Bendhttp://feeds.wishtv.com/~r/Wish-IndianaHeadlines/~3/7Yi95F1xEZ8/
http://wishtv.com/2014/05/16/power-could-be-out-until-sunday-in-south-bend/#commentsFri, 16 May 2014 12:07:31 +0000http://wishtv.com/?p=26141SOUTH BEND, Ind. (AP) — A power outage has doused lights in downtown South Bend while thousands of people are in town for weekend commencement ceremonies at the University of Notre Dame.

Indiana Michigan Power spokesman Mark Robinson said Friday morning that power is not expected to be restored until Sunday evening.

The utility says it cut off power to the downtown grid Thursday night after an underground fire caused serious damage to power circuits.

South Bend Memorial Hospital is diverting ambulances to other hospitals, but hasn’t evacuated patients and will treat emergency room patients. The South Bend Tribune was not able to publish a newspaper on Friday. Police erected stop signs downtown after traffic signals stopped working.

Crews from Fort Wayne and Columbus, Ohio are coming to South Bend to help repair the damage.

]]>http://wishtv.com/2014/05/16/power-could-be-out-until-sunday-in-south-bend/feed/0http://wishtv.com/2014/05/16/power-could-be-out-until-sunday-in-south-bend/Police reach out to Latino community, others new to Indyhttp://feeds.wishtv.com/~r/Wish-IndianaHeadlines/~3/F-F5gxr4f6E/
http://wishtv.com/2014/05/16/police-work-to-bridge-the-gap-with-latino-other-communities-in-indy/#commentsFri, 16 May 2014 04:46:27 +0000http://beta.wishtv.com/?p=26100

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) – Police and immigrant communities who are new to Indianapolis met Thursday night to try to bridge the gap.

A discussion was held at an east side school Thursday evening as a part of IMPD’s Latino outreach initiative.

Thursday’s discussion was a collaboration between the Immigrant Welcome Center, the prosecutor’s office, IMPD, and Holy Spirit Catholic School.

And it’s not just the Latino community the groups are reaching out to; it’s anyone who’s new to living in Indianapolis.

“Probably [in the last] 2 or 3 years, [there] has been an awakening on how we can stop crime, how can we not be the victims?” said Gerson Cardona, an IMPD chaplain.

Cardona says he started recognizing the need to bridge that gap a few years ago. He’s since met with pastors within the Latino community, and they’ve met with police, encouraging others to learn about home safety, neighborhood safety, even simple things like who to call, in an emergency. He says it all starts with trust.

This meeting was a key part of encouraging the discussion and education between police and the community.

“The issue has been, especially with the Hispanic community, the lack of knowledge,” said Cardona. “What is the law? What are the rules? How are we to abide in this country that has opened the doors for us?”

Police in the east district say they started to realize the need, when they responded to a series of robberies near 21st and Arlington, and learned that was common in that area.

“A lot of these incidents weren’t being reported, and that’s what alarmed us,” said IMPD Officer Rafael Diaz. “We knew we needed to do something to change that.”

“The police department protects and serves everyone in the community. But we also need their help in fighting crime in their neighborhoods: we have to do it together,” said Commander James Waters, with the East District.

Paul Lian is a refugee from Burma who attended the discussion Thursday. He says he’s lived in the United State for nearly five years, and was eager to learn more.

“The families are so excited to learn. Some of them don’t even know how to call 911. We are expecting to learn some of that tonight,” said Lian.

Other simple things, like how a basic traffic stop works, may be different in different countries. Police were planning to go through that on Thursday evening as well.

Commander Waters says they’ve been working for the past two and a half years to better their relationship with the Latino Community in the east district. He says last July, a grant funded a Latino crime watch specialist. He says they’re also arranging for additional Spanish training for east district officers, as well.

About a dozen members of Sunrise Christian Reformed Church attended Thursday’s Tippecanoe County hearing at which 57-year-old Robert Lyzenga pleaded guilty to five counts each of child exploitation and voyeurism.

Prosecutors say Lyzenga videotaped 10 girls ranging in age from 5 to 16 using two cameras he’d placed in the church’s women’s restroom.

Although Lyzenga continued recording footage even after he realized he’d recorded juveniles, the Journal & Courier reports defense attorney Kent Moore says his client didn’t target the juveniles.

A judge set Lyzenga’s sentencing for July 18. He faces between two and 10 years in prison.

]]>http://wishtv.com/2014/05/16/ex-pastor-pleads-guilty-in-child-voyeurism-case/feed/0http://wishtv.com/2014/05/16/ex-pastor-pleads-guilty-in-child-voyeurism-case/Police search for hit run driverhttp://feeds.wishtv.com/~r/Wish-IndianaHeadlines/~3/rwaeTKKNTZo/
http://wishtv.com/2014/05/16/police-search-for-hit-run-driver/#commentsFri, 16 May 2014 10:01:23 +0000http://wishtv.com/?p=26113INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) – Indianapolis Metropolitan Police are searching for the driver of a vehicle after a hit and run early Friday.

Police say a pedestrian was struck near West 60th Street and North Michigan Road around 1:30 a.m.

Emergency crews took the victim to Eskenazi Hospital with a broken leg.

Investigators say they are looking for a white car, but do not have any other description of the vehicle.

]]>http://wishtv.com/2014/05/16/police-search-for-hit-run-driver/feed/0http://wishtv.com/2014/05/16/police-search-for-hit-run-driver/Pacers clinch series with 93-80 win over Wizardshttp://feeds.wishtv.com/~r/Wish-IndianaHeadlines/~3/s0dTqpuswn4/
http://wishtv.com/2014/05/15/pacers-clinch-series-with-93-80-win-over-wizards/#commentsFri, 16 May 2014 03:12:10 +0000http://wishtv.com/?p=26069WASHINGTON (AP) — For all their mysterious slumps and chemistry curiosities, the Indiana Pacers are back where they were last season — in the Eastern Conference finals.

David West scored 29 points Thursday night, and the Pacers blew a 16-point second-half lead before pulling away late in a 93-80 win that ousted the Washington Wizards in six games.

Next up, a rematch with the Miami Heat.

Lance Stephenson added 17 points and eight assists for the Pacers, who earned a Game 1 at home against the two-time defending NBA champions on Sunday. Indiana took Miami to seven games in the conference finals a year ago.

Marcin Gortat scored 19 points, and John Wall had 12 points and nine assists for the Wizards, who ended their best playoff run in decades. Washington won a playoff series for the first time since 2005 and a second-round game for the first time since 1982. But the team was ultimately undone by an inability to win at home, going just 1-4 at the Verizon Center and 5-1 on the road in the playoffs.

The Wizards appeared to have a fix on the home-court demons when Bradley Beal stole a rebound from Roy Hibbert, then hit a 3-pointer at the other end to put the Wizards up 74-73 with 8 1/2 minutes to play.

But that was Washington’s only lead of the second half. West answered with a pair of jumpers, including a tough fade-away, and Stephenson added a layup to start a decisive 20-6 run that included three Wizards turnovers in four possessions. Washington went five minutes without a point and scored only two field goals after Beal’s go-ahead 3.

The Pacers were 46-13 on March 2 before limping to the finish line, barely holding on to the conference’s No. 1 seed. Things didn’t look much better when Indy was pushed to seven games in the first round by eighth-seeded Atlanta, or when the Pacers lost Game 1 at home to the Wizards.

But Hibbert revived himself in Game 2, the defense held the Wizards to 63 points in Game 3, and Paul George went off for 39 points in Game 4. The ugly Pacers returned in a 23-point beatdown at home in Game 5.

But they pulled ahead early in the clincher by shooting 59 percent in the first half and holding the up-tempo Wizards without a fast-break point until the second half.

The Wizards had to reschedule a Lady Gaga concert to host the game, upsetting the singer’s fans and prompting an apology from team owner Ted Leonsis. Instead of Little Monsters in the arena, there were big ones — such as a 41/2-minute field goal drought in the second period that helped the Pacers to a 52-40 halftime lead.

Wall, who broke out of a shooting and leadership slump in Game 5, had moments that were more reckless than sublime in the first half. He was 2 for 6 from the field at the break, while Beal was 3 for 10. The Wizards were 1 for 7 from 3-point range, and only the inside presence of Nene and Gortat kept it close.

The Pacers got the lead to 16, but the Wizards answered with an 11-2 run capped by Wall’s 1-on-3 transition layup, Washington’s first fast-break basket. Wall was particularly assertive at the start of the fourth quarter, but the Pacers’ defense held firm when it mattered.

]]>http://wishtv.com/2014/05/15/pacers-clinch-series-with-93-80-win-over-wizards/feed/0http://wishtv.com/2014/05/15/pacers-clinch-series-with-93-80-win-over-wizards/Pacers vs. Heat schedulehttp://feeds.wishtv.com/~r/Wish-IndianaHeadlines/~3/XMLNaFtfvrU/
http://wishtv.com/2014/05/15/pacers-vs-heat-schedule/#commentsFri, 16 May 2014 03:52:22 +0000http://wishtv.com/?p=26081INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) – The Pacers clinched their series with the Wizards in six games, so the Eastern Conference Finals will begin Sunday afternoon at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Here is the complete schedule for the series:

Game 1 – Sunday May 18 Miami at Indiana 3:30 p.m.

Game 2 – Tuesday May 20 Miami at Indiana 8:30 p.m.

Game 3 – Saturday May 24 Indiana at Miami 8:30 p.m.

Game 4 – Monday May 26 Indiana at Miami 8:30 p.m.

Game 5 * Wednesday May 28 Miami at Indiana 8:30 p.m.

Game 6 * Friday May 30 Indiana at Miami 8:30 p.m.

Game 7 * Sunday June 1 Miami at Indiana 8:30 p.m.

*If necessary

]]>http://wishtv.com/2014/05/15/pacers-vs-heat-schedule/feed/0http://wishtv.com/2014/05/15/pacers-vs-heat-schedule/1 suspect caught, 2 on the run after police chase ends in crashhttp://feeds.wishtv.com/~r/Wish-IndianaHeadlines/~3/9OJrF-l1fek/
http://wishtv.com/2014/05/15/1-suspect-caught-2-on-the-run-after-police-chase-ends-in-crash/#commentsFri, 16 May 2014 01:45:26 +0000http://wishtv.com/?p=26053

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) – A police chase that started in Fishers ended with a crash in Indianapolis and one of three suspects in custody.

Police say officers spotted three people in Fishers who matched the descriptions of suspects who had been breaking into cars on Thursday in the Fishers area.

Officers chased the trio through Fishers, and into Indianapolis. The chase ended at Fall Creek and Emerson where the suspects crashed the car and took off on foot.

IMPD and Fishers police set up a perimeter and caught one suspect. Police said that individual was taken to Fishers PD to speak with investigators.

Around 9:30 p.m., police say the other two suspects were still on the run.

GREENWOOD, Ind. (WISH) — Two people are in custody after a 16-year-old Center Grove boy was found dead in his friend’s home with a synthetic drug next to his body, the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office announced on Thursday.

Samuel Motsay was found dead in a home in the Eagles Trace subdivision on May 11 with what, at the time, police called an unknown substance nearby. Analysis from the Indiana State Police indicated the substance was 25I-NBOMe.

Investigators looked through Motsay’s cell phone to determine who he was interacting with before his death. Johnson County Sheriff’s Office officials have connected 24-year-old Kyle Hazzard, of Greenwood, 19-year-old Jordan Adamowicz, of Indianapolis and 24-year-old Zachery Catron, of Indianapolis, to the case.

A search of Catron’s home revealed the same synthetic drug found next to Motsay’s body — on blotting paper. Catron was arrested on unknown preliminary charges. He was out on bond from a drug dealing case in Johnson County.

Johnson County Sheriff Doug Cox said Kyle Hazzard turned himself into the jail Thursday evening. He was wanted on a warrant for dealing an illegal substance.

Police are still looking for Adamowicz. He’s also wanted on a warrant for dealing an illegal substance.

Jordan Adamowicz. (Provided Photo/Johnson County Sheriff’s Office)

NBOMe, pronounced ”N’ bomb’ can often be referred to LSD, although DEA officials say it is not one in the same. In November 2013, the DEA reported at least 17 deaths in 11 states connected to NBOMe. The drug has been found in powder form, liquid solutions, laced on edible items, and soaked onto blotter papers.

]]>http://wishtv.com/2014/05/15/arrest-made-two-sought-after-center-grove-teen-death/feed/0http://wishtv.com/2014/05/15/arrest-made-two-sought-after-center-grove-teen-death/Prosecutors: Indiana man bragged about killingshttp://feeds.wishtv.com/~r/Wish-IndianaHeadlines/~3/lrWjPGPbtVs/
http://wishtv.com/2014/05/16/prosecutors-indiana-man-bragged-about-killings/#commentsFri, 16 May 2014 10:44:53 +0000http://wishtv.com/?p=26119MERRILLVILLE, Ind. (AP) — A prison inmate has been charged with murder after investigators say he bragged to an acquaintance about killing two north people in 2008.

Kenneth Carl Sandidge was serving a four-year term on an unrelated firearms violation in the state prison at Westville when he was charged recently by Lake County prosecutors.

The Post-Tribune and The Times report investigators believe the 55-year-old man fatally shot two people inside a Merrillville apartment about six years ago. Forty-seven-year-old Michelle Covington and 44-year-old Vincent Currie, 44 died of gunshot wounds to their heads.

Court documents allege Sandidge bragged about the slayings and warned a woman when he was angry that he had already killed two people. Prosecutors also say DNA links Sandidge to the crime scene.

It isn’t clear whether Sandidge has an attorney.

]]>http://wishtv.com/2014/05/16/prosecutors-indiana-man-bragged-about-killings/feed/0http://wishtv.com/2014/05/16/prosecutors-indiana-man-bragged-about-killings/Grandstand will be ready for the Shelby County Fairhttp://feeds.wishtv.com/~r/Wish-IndianaHeadlines/~3/ty_7VbfjWZ8/
http://wishtv.com/2014/05/16/grandstand-will-be-ready-for-the-shelby-county-fair/#commentsFri, 16 May 2014 11:33:26 +0000http://wishtv.com/?p=26131SHELBYVILLE, Ind. (Shelbyville News) – Officials say the grandstand will be open and ready for use for this year’s Shelby County Fair.

“We’re in good shape, and it’s coming together. It is exciting to see all the work taking place, and this is a project that has been in the works for three years, said Mike Freeman, fair board president. On a daily basis, Freeman observes the work R.L. Turner has been doing on building the new facility.

According to 24-Hour News 8′s news gathering partner, The Shelbyville News, the project became necessary after an arsonist, who has not been caught or charged, set the 133-year-old structure on fire on May 19, 2012.

The Shelby County Commissioners have given a target date of June 20 for the project to be completed. “We will have it open for the fair,” Freeman said. In addition to the rebuild of the grandstands, money will also be applied to renovating the grounds, according to Freeman.

“We will upgrade the areas quite a bit. If we don’t renovate the area and grandstands, there is a chance we could lose the fair. But, that won’t be the case. We will have a full slate of activities again this year,” Freeman said.

Commissioners President Kevin Nigh said the project will look very nice when completed. “The good of a loss like this has been bringing the community together to work on the project. It’ll look really nice, and I think it will resemble what was there. There is no way you can ever replace the structure we had, but we’ll come close. I am excited to have this by the fair,” Nigh said.

A groundbreaking for the grandstand was held in early April. Check out that story here.

]]>http://wishtv.com/2014/05/16/grandstand-will-be-ready-for-the-shelby-county-fair/feed/0http://wishtv.com/2014/05/16/grandstand-will-be-ready-for-the-shelby-county-fair/Official wants investigation of audit recordinghttp://feeds.wishtv.com/~r/Wish-IndianaHeadlines/~3/rVEgVLWuXc8/
http://wishtv.com/2014/05/16/official-wants-investigation-of-audit-recording/#commentsFri, 16 May 2014 11:36:13 +0000http://wishtv.com/?p=26133EVANSVILLE, Ind. (AP) – A state official has asked Indiana State Police to investigate the release of the recording of a conference between state auditors and Evansville city officials regarding the city’s 2012 audit.

Indiana State Board of Accounts Examiner Paul Joyce told the Evansville Courier & Press on Thursday that he would seek prosecution of whoever released the information. Audit results are supposed to remain confidential until they are publicly released.

Mayor Lloyd Winnecke says city council member secretly recorded the March 12 meeting and then illegally distributed the recording. He says he informed the city attorney and the state after learning of the recording.

The city sought outside assistance after the 2011 audit criticized the council for inadequately overseeing government financial records.

]]>http://wishtv.com/2014/05/16/official-wants-investigation-of-audit-recording/feed/0http://wishtv.com/2014/05/16/official-wants-investigation-of-audit-recording/Three arrested in meth lab busthttp://feeds.wishtv.com/~r/Wish-IndianaHeadlines/~3/MBkT0wzQlak/
http://wishtv.com/2014/05/16/three-arrested-in-meth-lab-bust/#commentsFri, 16 May 2014 12:03:53 +0000http://wishtv.com/?p=26138CONNERSVILLE, Ind. (WISH) – Police say two men and a woman are under arrest after police found a meth lab in a home they were in.

Officers served a search warrant on a house in the 100-block of West 24th Street in Connersville just after midnight Friday. Police say they found the meth lab and chemicals used to make meth in the home.

Anthony Griffin, 42, Cindy Revalee, 41, and Jody Johnson age 42 all face five felony charges as a result of the arrest.

Wearing loads of pink representing a partnership with Susan G. Komen, IndyCar driver Pippa Mann is excited and ready to hit the track this weekend. Today she sits down with Indy Style co-host Andi Hauser. Pippa Mann will run the Indianapolis 500 this month in conjunction with the Susan G. Komen breast cancer organization and she will do it in a pink car! Plus learn how you can race with Pippa a to help find the cure Make a donation benefiting Susan G. Komen® and race with Pippa Mann and the pink Komen car at this year’s Indianapolis 500. http://www.racewithpippa.com/

Cellist David Murray offers up a preview of this year’s Spotlight 2014: Out Loud showcase. Enjoy more than a dozen masterful performances by professional artists – from traditional opera and the symphony to edgy theatre and performance art – and help raise money for HIV/AIDS treatment as prevention and testing programs across Indiana.

National Nursing Home Week is a way for today’s care communities to proactively communicate that skilled care centers are light years ahead of what may be thought of as “Grandma’s nursing home.” It’s a way to help foster a positive attitude towards communities like Maple Park Village and American Senior Communities. Brenda Seibert shares, as a family member, how comforting it is to know that her mom is in a place like MPV where she can stay active and involved. Lauren Kirkwood, Director of Nursing Services at Maple Park Village shares some examples of how some of the neat ways their sister communities at ASC have celebrated.

This year is a very special year as Maple Park Village celebrates a PERFECT ANNUAL SURVEY by the Indiana State Department of Health. It’s important that we convey that tomorrow as we are very proud of the staff there and want to ensure they get the recognition for their hard work. This is a special distinction.

Since 1992, Danville’s Mayberry Cafe has served up down-home cooking and plenty of Andy Griffith Show nostalgia to thousands of people who come to Hendricks County every year from around the region, country and even the world.

Restaurant owners Brad and Christine Born with the help of the Downtown Danville Partnership plan to take that success and notoriety to a new level this spring with a first-ever, two-day festival called Mayberry in the Midwest, May 17-18. The Downtown Danville celebration will pay homage to the 1960s show, its characters and its wholesome, small-town persona.

]]>http://wishtv.com/2014/05/16/danvilles-mayberry-cafe/feed/0http://wishtv.com/2014/05/16/danvilles-mayberry-cafe/Purdue freezes tuition for third straight yearhttp://feeds.wishtv.com/~r/Wish-IndianaHeadlines/~3/Y04xwZP7-Wg/
http://wishtv.com/2014/05/16/purdue-freezes-tuition-for-third-straight-year/#commentsFri, 16 May 2014 15:45:50 +0000http://wishtv.com/?p=26165WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (WLFI) — The Purdue Board of Trustees approved a resolution to freeze tuition for a third year. This means tuition will be frozen through the 2015-16 academic year.

The trustees first approved the freeze on tuition and most fees in May 2013 for two years, through the 2014-15 academic year.

Purdue President Mitch Daniels said administrators feel confident a tuition freeze for a third year can be accomplished. He said this means the students who entered Purdue in the fall of 2012 will never see an increase in tuition.

Final tuition and fee decisions for fiscal years 2015-16 and 2016-17 will be made in May 2015, once state appropriations and other funding variables are known.

Daniels said the university will continue to make student affordability a top priority.

CRG Executive Chef Carl shares two new recipes from Mesh on Mass: crab pancakes and smoked trout salad. Think about it when you make pancakes there are often times extras. If you like the occasional savory pancake you’ll love his recipe.

Battles has been a state representative since 2006. He would have faced Republican Bruce Borders in November. Borders is a former state representative whom Battles defeated by an 89-vote margin in 2012 when state redistricting threw them into the same district.

Battles says he is resigning to spend more time with his five grandsons. He says he doesn’t want his family to take a back seat to politics, but he’s grateful for his time in the Indiana General Assembly.

President of competition Derrick Walker said there are no plans to ditch the much-maligned starts that have been problematic for the series since last season. However, he knows the series has troubles with the starts that need to be addressed before the next one in June.

“The system we have on our cars is not as good as it needs to be,” Walker said Thursday at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. “It’s tricky to set up. The manufacturers set that up, the way the system behaves. It’s enough to say it’s not foolproof. It needs a lot more work than we’ve given it.”

The inaugural Grand Prix of Indianapolis got off to an inauspicious start Saturday when pole-sitter Sebastian Saavedra stalled, triggering a violent wreck.

IndyCar used a standing start for the series’ first race on the road course at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. But Saavedra’s car simply didn’t go when the lights went out and, after Ryan Hunter-Reay frantically darted around him, Saavedra was clipped by Carlos Munoz and then hit hard from behind by Mikhail Aleshin.

IndyCar has now had some type of failure in all six attempts since bringing them into the series last season.

“Even if the standing start doesn’t work, there’s a function called anti-stall,” Walker said. “The engine should always be running. I don’t think the manufactures have gotten that one correct yet. They’re trying to go fast and we’re trying to make sure the engine is running when something goes wrong. The car isn’t perfect.”

Knowing the system is flawed, Walker said IndyCar should have been more proactive and put in a session where they had time to practice.

“If all the drivers say, `We can’t do it like that, we have to change,’ then I guess we’ll go back to the drawing board and do it again,” he said. “But there are a lot of drivers that come up and say don’t change standing starts. Don’t change restarts. They want us to modify it a little bit, so we’re looking into it, getting input on improving it. I don’t think it’s all thrown out the window. I don’t think you toss it out just because we’ve had a couple of tough ones.”

Walker also said the cars were spaced too close together, and Munoz and Aleshin should have used dedicated spotters.

“We gave them permission to put a spotter on the roof, right on top of the Pagoda,” Walker said. “Usually only Christ gets to stand up there. There’s only so much we can do.”

IndyCar will use the standing starts again June 28 in Houston and July 19 in Toronto.

Drivers also grumbled about the way race control was restarting the races, with the leader having to use a late restart zone. Graham Rahal said he was victimized when he was run into from behind by Juan Pablo Montoya.

“These restarts are pretty stupid. You can’t see back there because the rear wings are so big, and the officials, we need to work with them to try to change this because there’s going to be a lot of accidents,” Rahal said.

“They need to let the leader go earlier. Right now, the way it is, they’re trying to be like NASACAR and this isn’t NASCAR. We can’t just bump-draft each other.”

Walker dismissed the idea that IndyCar was emulating NASCAR.

“The problem really wasn’t that only the field came down at pace car speed, it was the car behind him that jumped the start,” Walker said. “Perhaps the answer is not necessarily let the leader go sooner, but bring the field down a little bit quicker.”

Also a problem, the debris from Justin Wilson’s car that flew into the cockpit, striking James Hinchcliffe in the head. He was taken away from the track on a stretcher, transported to a hospital and diagnosed with a concussion. He was cleared Thursday to return.

“It’s a problem to fix,” Walker said. “The only way you could that would be to have a partial cockpit. Long term, we are going to fix that problem. Short term, we haven’t figured out a way to do it.”

Walker did credit a carbon-fiber strip on the top of the helmet that prevented Hinchcliffe for getting hurt worse.

“Open wheel is just a very vulnerable area,” he said.

]]>http://wishtv.com/2014/05/15/indycar-standing-pat-with-maligned-standing-starts/feed/0http://wishtv.com/2014/05/15/indycar-standing-pat-with-maligned-standing-starts/Woman in critical condition after north side shootinghttp://feeds.wishtv.com/~r/Wish-IndianaHeadlines/~3/LftVpNp4ZC0/
http://wishtv.com/2014/05/15/woman-in-critical-condition-after-north-side-shooting/#commentsFri, 16 May 2014 01:57:51 +0000http://wishtv.com/?p=26056INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) – A woman was taken to the hospital in critical but stable condition after a shooting on the north side of Indianapolis Thursday night.

It happened in the 3700 block of Hillside Avenue, which is near East 38th Street and North Keystone Avenue, around 9:30 p.m.

Police say the victim was shot in the leg and the neck and was awake and breathing. Officers say the woman was in critical but stable condition. She was taken to Sidney & Lois Eskenazi Hospital.

Details about what led up to the shooting weren’t immediately clear.

]]>http://wishtv.com/2014/05/15/woman-in-critical-condition-after-north-side-shooting/feed/0http://wishtv.com/2014/05/15/woman-in-critical-condition-after-north-side-shooting/Debate over state forest logging regulations shelvedhttp://feeds.wishtv.com/~r/Wish-IndianaHeadlines/~3/i8cUjEMkimw/
http://wishtv.com/2014/05/15/debate-over-state-forest-logging-regulations-shelved/#commentsFri, 16 May 2014 01:01:27 +0000http://wishtv.com/?p=26042INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) – Legislators officially approved topics for this year’s interim summer study committee, and an issue raised by I-Team 8′s investigation last month will not be among them.

Senators passed a resolution in March calling for an interim study committee hearing on the use of commercial logging in state forests. An I-Team 8 investigation found permits for logging sold by the state’s Department of Natural Resources Division of Forestry have increased by more than 1,000 percent over the last 10 years.

Bills aimed at restricting additional logging on state forest property were filed in both the House and Senate, but neither was heard by a committee. After hearing from what he estimated to be “hundreds of constituents,” Sen. Brent Steele (R-Bedford) filed a bill requesting the issue be studied by an interim study committee.

On Wednesday, Indiana’s Legislative Council, Chaired by House Speaker Brian Bosma and comprised of six appointed Representatives and six appointed Senators, declined Steele’s request, citing scheduling conflicts in the Interim Study Committee on Agriculture and Natural Resources.

That committee will instead be charged with studying a statewide policy for recreational trails and with studying proposed new regulations on state shooting preserves and potential disease risks they might pose.

87 summer study requests were filed this year, Bosma noted during the hearing. This year, 34 total topics will be heard.

]]>http://wishtv.com/2014/05/15/debate-over-state-forest-logging-regulations-shelved/feed/0http://wishtv.com/2014/05/15/debate-over-state-forest-logging-regulations-shelved/Fever have high expectations this seasonhttp://feeds.wishtv.com/~r/Wish-IndianaHeadlines/~3/U5H7KSPYZ-k/
http://wishtv.com/2014/05/15/fever-have-high-expectations-this-season/#commentsFri, 16 May 2014 00:26:10 +0000http://wishtv.com/?p=26037INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Lin Dunn has high expectations for the Indiana Fever this season. The seventh-year head coach believes Indiana can win another WNBA title before she retires at the end of the season.

It all comes down to two things: Defense and rebounding.

“Night in and night out, the thing that can remain consistent is your defense and your rebounding,” Dunn said. “If you continue to, night in and night out, consistently be a good to great defensive and rebounding team, you always have a chance to win. I believe that’s the foundation of a championship team.”

The Fever were swept by Atlanta in the Eastern Conference finals last year after winning the franchise’s first championship in 2012. Dunn doesn’t think the Fever were all that far off from making a return to the finals last season.

“Last year, we could have very easily been in the finals against had we not gotten so injured,” Dunn said. “We got to the final four with no depth. I feel confident that this year, if we can stay healthy, there’s no reason why we can’t challenge for a championship.”

At one point last year, the Fever had six players benched due to injuries, including Katie Douglas with a back injury and Jessica Davenport, who had season-ending surgery for a left tibia stress fracture.

Five things watch this season for the Fever:

PREPPING FOR NEW LEADERSHIP: With Dunn set to retire, Stephanie White was named associate head Coach and will take over as head coach next year. White, who is in her fourth season on Dunn’s coaching staff, is a former Indiana Miss Basketball, played at Purdue and was on the Fever roster from 2000 to 2004. “In many instances over the last couple of years, she’s been given an enormous amount of responsibility,” Dunn said. “I think she’ll be great.”

RETIREMENT TALK: Dunn isn’t the only one talking about retirement. Even Tamika Catchings is giving retirement consideration. First, she wants to play in the 2016 Olympics. The 2012 WNBA MVP is in her 14th season with the Fever said once she retires, her attention will turn to taking a general manager’s role in the WNBA.

DEEP DOWN LOW: Dunn spent the offseason making moves to have the personnel to grab big rebounds. The Fever selected 6-foot-3 Natasha Howard in the draft and acquired 6-foot-4 forward Lynetta Kizer in a trade with Phoenix. Both will play alongside Erlana Larkins, who signed a multi-year deal last month. Larkins was No. 8 in the league with 7.8 rebounds last season and is happy to have additional help.

SHOOTING CONCERNS: Don’t expect the Fever to be the same threat from 3-point range that it was last season. The Fever were No. 4 in the league last year shooting 33.7 percent from 3-point range. “We’re looking at who’s going to step up and be that pure shooter for us,” Catchings said.

NEXT FOR DUNN: Dunn said the start of the season isn’t bittersweet. Once she moves into retirement, Dunn said she will remain on staff with the Fever for a year as a consultant next year. After that, Dunn will start private consulting for college and professional coaches.

]]>http://wishtv.com/2014/05/15/fever-have-high-expectations-this-season/feed/0http://wishtv.com/2014/05/15/fever-have-high-expectations-this-season/City seeks to close two Indianapolis hotelshttp://feeds.wishtv.com/~r/Wish-IndianaHeadlines/~3/plr1X037WDo/
http://wishtv.com/2014/05/15/city-seeks-to-close-two-indianapolis-hotels/#commentsThu, 15 May 2014 23:16:51 +0000http://wishtv.com/?p=26016

The orders demand that everyone should be out of the Best Inn and America’s Best Inn by noon Saturday. A judge will decide whether or not to make the shutdown permanent at a hearing on May 23.

Police have been investigating this area for months after multiple officers and business owners started reporting problems with prostitution and drugs in the area near Interstate 465 and Harding Street. Management at one hotel had even signed an agreement with the city to clean up conditions and work with police to stop crime, but now police say they have not held up their end of the deal.

“They continue to rent rooms to the same individuals, the same prostitutes, and the same dope dealers,” said Detective Sergeant William Carter.

During one visit to the hotel this spring, the court orders accuse an employee of calling rooms to warn accused drug dealers and prostitutes that officers were in the building. There have also been a slew of health code violations at both of these hotels, from broken windows, rotting floors and cracked walls.

“If someone was just traveling through our city and just happened to get off the interstate, I wouldn’t want someone coming outside of town, coming to Indianapolis and by chance picking one of these places to stay because I’m sure they would never come back,” said Carter.

Sherley Fleweling works at Big O’s CB next to the Best Inn. Her and other workers say they’re constantly fighting crime off their parking lot.

“They [prostitutes] would climb up in the truck with the customers and I’d have to bang on the door to get the prostitutes out of truck,” said Fleweling.

Police officers have seen similar incidents and have made multiple arrests on the properties.

“Undercover officers have been down here buying drugs, seeing prostitutes running out of both of these hotels for several months,” said Carter.

There have been 63 police runs at Best Inn, since November. Now, the city and police have had enough and say it’s got to stop.

“These girls were operating prostitution out of the hotels. There was drug dealing, and a lot of that will now not have a place to do drugs or prostitute this week once they close,” said Carter.

People in the area say this is a step in the right direction, and hope the hotels get closed down for good.

ZIONSVILLE, Ind. (WISH) – There’s good news for people who want to sell their home, but it means buyers need to start acting fast.

Agents 24-Hour News 8 spoke with say the inventory of homes for sale in Central Indiana is thin, but one of the main reasons is because buyers aren’t wasting time making an offer.

In a house fit for a family, homeowner Misty Bolinger was hoping it wouldn’t take long before someone else wanted to call it their own.

“We just put the house on the market yesterday and we’ve already had, I think we had four showings yesterday,” she said.

In no time, one of those showings was heating up.

“We had an offer I think by 8:30 p.m. and it offered for more than we had listed the home for so we were pretty surprised and grateful,” she said.

The quick offer might have shocked her, but not to Jason Engle, managing broker for Century 21 Scheetz Zionsville.

“Obviously we can’t expect that for everybody, but it’s every day I’m seeing at least one home that is selling in under seven days or so,” he said. “It’s not really a frenzy, it’s just that people know that good homes are going to go fast.”

Home sales for Engle’s agency are up 30 percent since January. It’s a sign of strength not only for Zionsville, but Engle says all of Indiana.

“We do have a lower inventory than the national average, which means our market is moving more quickly and in a healthier fashion than the rest of the country,” he said.

That’s exactly the news a busy mother like Bolinger was happy to hear.

“It just feels like the pressure I guess is off. I mean, I still want it to look nice for anyone that’s coming in but at least it’s not seeming like it’s going to be a six month process,” she said.

Engle said that on Thursday, FHA loans dipped under four percent for the first time all year. He said that rate will make lending very affordable.

The Metropolitan Indianapolis Board of Realtors agreed that it is currently a seller’s market in Central Indiana, but it’s some of the doughnut counties like Boone, Hamilton, and Hendricks that are mainly pushing that trend.

]]>http://wishtv.com/2014/05/15/fast-selling-homes-leaving-housing-market-thin/feed/0http://wishtv.com/2014/05/15/fast-selling-homes-leaving-housing-market-thin/Drug trafficking operation dismantled, 23 people chargedhttp://feeds.wishtv.com/~r/Wish-IndianaHeadlines/~3/b9jc53l4SUo/
http://wishtv.com/2014/05/15/drug-trafficking-operation-dismantled-23-people-charged/#commentsThu, 15 May 2014 22:23:15 +0000http://wishtv.com/?p=26007INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) – Authorities announced on Thursday the arrests and indictment of 23 people in a drug trafficking operation in Central Indiana.

U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Hogsett says the operation stretched from the Mars Hill section of Indianapolis to North Vernon, Indiana and other communities in Central Indiana.

16 people have been charged in the main indictment, for participating in the activities of a methamphetamine distribution organization.

Authorities say the following people were charged with conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine:

Donald P. Maggard, 40, of North Vernon, Indiana

Ashley N. Wright, 27, of North Vernon, Indiana

Jason L. Howard, a/k/a Jay, 33, of North Vernon, Indiana

Jason D. Mantooth, 38, of Indianapolis

Dorothy M. Neeley, 39, of Indianapolis

Robert J. Holliday, a/k/a Jo Jo, 30, of Indianapolis

Kimberly A. Ault, 31, of Indianapolis

David L. Bell, 48, of Seymour, Indiana

David Eric Chadwell of Osgood, Indiana

George R. Nichols, a/k/a Rick, 59, of Butlerville, Indiana

Jessica R. Parsons, 32, of North Vernon, Indiana

Officials say the indictment also charged Marsha D. Fields, 56, of North Vernon, Indiana with maintaining a drug-involved premises and the following people with unlawful use of a communications device:

Hogsett said the indictment of the 16 individuals came after an ongoing investigation that had already netted seven arrests for drug trafficking and firearms violations in the Mars Hill area. Authorities say those previously arrested are:

Jennifer L. Gaddy, 44, of Indianapolis, charged with three counts of methamphetamine distribution.

Logan Mediate, 20, of Indianapolis, charged with tampering with a witness, discharge of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, possession of a short-barreled shotgun in furtherance of a crime of violence, felon in possession of a firearm, and possession of a sawed-off shotgun.

Jonathan Anderson, 29, of Indianapolis, charged with felon in possession of a firearm.

Dustin H. Pennington, 31, of Indianapolis, charged with felon in possession of a firearm.

Dwight L. Holloway, 33, of Indianapolis, charged with possession of heroin with intent to distribute and felon in possession of a firearm.

Justin Kincaid, 33, of Indianapolis, charged with felon in possession of a firearm.

Kathleen A. Owens, 29, of Indianapolis, charged with two counts of possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute.

Authorities say those charged with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine face up to life in federal prison and fines up to $10 million if convicted.

“People think if you’re a race car driver, you have money, but that’s not the case,” said Heather Carpenter, wife of driver Ed Carpenter. “You’re constantly looking for sponsors, it’s an expensive sport to be a part of.”

The Carpenters know the ups and downs of racing all too well. Ed’s now an owner, but there was a time where he struggled to get a ride. He lost his full time ride before the 2010 season when Vision Racing folded.

“We said maybe it’s time to get a real job,” said Heather. “I work and sell real estate, but it happens, it’s part of racing. We know it’s a short lived cycle. Drivers don’t race until they’re very old.”

It’s something the Taglianis can sympathize with. Alex doesn’t have a full time IndyCar ride this season, but will drive in the Indy 500 for Sarah Fisher.

Bronte said it’s been a frustrating and disappointing year for her husband.

“Racing has changed, the business of racing has changed so much,” said Bronte. “It’s not only about having the talent to drive the car. It’s about the sponsorship and the funding, you have to have people behind you, standing behind you, and almost just pay for you to drive the car.”

Starting and owning a team has presented an entirely new set of challenges for the Carpenters.

“When we were first starting, we were concerned about our living and now as a team owner, you’re worried about all those crew guys and providing for them and their families,” said Heather.

On Friday, in part three of 24-Hour News 8′s series, we take a look at how they deal with the dangers their husbands face every day.